You are of course entitled to not like anyone, but to say Springsteen can't write a tune is rather wide of the mark, I would say.

I'm no fan, though God knows I've out the hours in trying to see the appeal, but he's written some decent tunes. I just tend to prefer them when other people are singing them.

motorbikes, women called Mary, let's head off into the sunset with the wind in our hair baby . That live Father Xmas bollocks .
All that blue collar bellowing and rutting. Come to think of it, is there a white collar / middle class version of Springsteen ?
Streets of Provence perhaps ?

With the exception of Nebraska, I felt similarly until I was about 30. Then he suddenly made an awful lot of sense: all that stuff about failed dreams and growing old, I guess. Now I'm at the stage where his music can reduce me to tears while doing 70mph on the M25 with all the windows open. That was yesterday, actually.

I've just never got it. I find him all a bit too contrived and earnest. I accept that I'm probably in a minority and that it's not for me.

and maybe I will again - but I must confess to a sense of deflation when I play even some of the old classics now.

Maybe Julie Burchill was right all those years ago when she said something along the lines of the problem with Bruce, essentially, was his voice which is just too masculine.

As time passes - it strikes me that the greatest songwriter of the American experence is not one you mention - but Paul Simon.

Talking of which - I went to look for America post-college - and one night I found it. Springsteen in concert at Meadowlands. Magic. Magical.

I think the road to re-discovery might lie in Nebraska and Tom Joad. Just Bruce and his guitar and America and its ghosts.

I agree with the above comment. After those, the Born In the USA album doesn't seem so upbeat after all. Along with Dion's The Wanderer, Dancing In The Dark must qualify for one of the most downbeat upbeat songs ever written. Even underneath the apparently life-affirming Glory Days tugs the uncomfortable notion that life will never be as much fun again.

I bought The River and thought it was an amazingly dull and banal album. Not learning my lesson I bought more of his CDs that I didn't like.

I'm not sure when it happened but one day I must have felt a need to hear someone dull, boring and generic. And I enjoyed him for the first time.

I think the trick is to embrace that he's an unoriginal plodding dullard who's never had an interesting idea ever in his life. Wrap yourself in his banality and you might find a lot to enjoy.

The River is still rubbish though.

is a total blind spot for me. As a songwriter he cuts the mustard and as someone said earlier I've enjoyed other people singing his songs. But as a singer and a performer he does nothing for me. I think there is something overly dour and earnest about him that gets in the way of my being able to listen "properly" to him. The rolled-up shirt-sleeves, the taut arm muscles, the constipated gurning and the perpetually streaming sweat on the brow just makes me think he'd rather be building a log cabin or digging for coal and so any magic in the music is not getting through to me at all. He makes it all look like an effort and a toil with little reward for either himself or, in my case, the listener. It's all too much like hard work and in truth my head and heart's preference is for music and performers to take me away from it all, not to remind of Sisyphus.

But, as with all art, I'm forever willing to be enlightened and such is the general excellence of contributors on here I'll be giving him another go in the light of the comments above.

Regardless of whether he's any good or not, isn't it true that Bruce has never had a proper job of any sort? He's always seen as quite gritty and authentic. Come on people, he must have had a paper round at least!

Several people have said in the comments above that they prefer other artists versions of Springsteen songs. Which versions are these? I can only think of 'Because the Night' Patti Smith

cover Hungry Heart?

i really like his version of suicide's 'dream baby dream

I first heard Bruce in the early '80s, and to be honest really liked it. Good listening.

I moved to America 7 years ago, and listening to much of his work again, with "fresh" ears get much more from them - Born in the USA is very much an America I live near and see and understand.

Going through a less than stellar phase in my life rediscovered Tunnel of Love.

You could build a list of songwriters about a certain kind of America for a cross country drive. Unfortunately I've bought most of them over the last couple of weekends: Bob Seeger? Check. Steve Miller? Check? Bruuuce? Check.

And to round it off - seen him live twice - Earls Court, and Richmond. Blows the roof off

Loose Windscreen is great when he's not shouting, or trying to do his Dylan thang. So in my humble opinion, albums like 'Born to run' 'Born (a theme developing here?) in the USA' and all those shite albums he did before 'BTR' can be discounted as embarrassing. 'Darkness on the edge of town' (crap title) has some good stuff on it, 'Nebraska', and for me 'Tunnel of Love' are great, as is 'Ghost of Tom Joad'. I don't reckon to his Woody Guthrie stuff, and stuff like 'Working on a dream' has such a crap title and cover I just couldn't bring myself to suffer it. But reader above is right, great version of 'Dream baby Dream', by a group who for me made the most genuinely disturbing record EVER in 'Frankie Teardrop'. Don't like 'Dancing in the Dark' by Boss man also. So, curate's egg then.

Although from me mainly miss too worthy and dull

Bruce Springsteen rubbish? Hmmmmmm ... not quite, but certainly close ... He's not original. He's not even close to original. But he's American and that saves his bacon. God bless, tho'.

..is just rubbish Dylan. 'Wild Billy's Circus Story?' 'Sandy?' are 6th form-type shite. I cannot listen to 'Born to run' without wishing the earth would swallow me (or him) up, it's just so embarrassing. I used to love 'The wild. the innocent' (another cringeworthy title) but then again I used to like the Doors. When I grew up I realised that these albums were fake bullshit. The only thing I could bear from 'Born to run' was 'Meeting across the river' 'cause it had a nice trumpet solo on it. But 'Jungleland?' Self-satisfied 'down on the street' tosh. P.S. I also hate Jack Kerouac. I repeat that when Springsteen is good he is very, very good. But when he's shouting I just want to knock him out, irony or no irony. c.f. 'Born in the USA'

...fair-minded lass that I am.

Bruce has never done anything for me at all, even though I like loads of artists that claim to be inspired by him/worship at the altar, but I can see that he is great at what he does. Could never write him off, even though it's never done it for me.

I've also got friends that love him live, but can take or leave the studio LPs. I suppose I should go and see him at some point, but the big gigs he does are so unappealing to me.

I did get a chance to see him at the Emirates, but I'll only step foot in that Satan's den at the away end, and one of my colleagues adores him so it seemed fair to give the chance to her.

He just leaves me unmoved.

Well, there's no accounting for taste. The nay sayers are just wrong, I believe he is an all time great. A great song writer who will always take risks and go down non-commercial routes. Nebraska, Darkness on the edge of town, born to run, born in the usa and tunnel of love are all fantatsic. He is also truly amazing live, really, what more do you want?

I am a bit of a Springsteen fan. Quite a bit actually. I realise that that ain't going to convert anybody nor do I particularly want to but I couldn't see a thread entitled "I just can't stand Bruce" without replying.
I will admit that some of his records aren't the real deal but a live performance is something else. I get tears in my eyes when I hear him sing and I don't really know why - it's the same tears I get when I see my football team win a championship but it isn't just tears of joy.
To me some of his lyrics are mini rock operas - take "Jungleland" for example.which to me speaks volumes. I think part of it is the feeling of America that it evokes. It's also seen in the solo albums as they're chock full of stories and when I have seen him on those solo tours I have been able to sit back, close my eyes and see those stories unfolding in front of me.
I realise that whatever I say won't convince anyone - as I said above I don't particularly want to do so but I think he's the best there is and I don't care what anyone else thinks. I am off to see him play the Giants Stadium in October which will fulfil a long held ambition

Does this debate not sum up the beauty and diversity of music. I am a huge fan of Bruce, some of his stuff more than others, but you could start this debate about any artist and expect the same cross section of views to follow.

And to those turned off by the so called bluster and bombast, I recommend you listen to Tunnel of Love. Introspective and thoughful.

You're just not listening. And Glory Days, it's about someone who can't let go of the past. Are we really still at the stage where fast is 'up', and slow is 'down'? Kris Kristofferson got booed off when he sang Blame It On The Stones, which was a song about parents blaming the Stones. Surely we've moved on from that kind of crass and ignorant response. Well, maybe not. Springsteen is one of a handful of artists (and Paul Simon, well said, is another) we are privileged and lucky to have witnessed in our lives. We had Elvis, The Beatles, Dylan, Simon, Springsteen and all the second stringers - The Who, The Stones, Hendrix, Cream/Clapton. How lucky do you want to be? Imagine looking back as a 60 year old in 2050 and having to remember The Killers, Snow Patrol and Coldplay. You're really not going be feeling you went through a cultural upheaval, are you?

Jamie T

and that is - do you listen to words or music?

This has possibly been covered in other threads, but for me it's ALWAYS music NOT lyrics.

They have to work together. I don't care how IMPORTANT and MEANINGFUL and so on the words are, if the music is dull or derivative or unoriginal I can't be bothered listening. I'd rather read those thoughts and ideas as a magazine article or blog or whatever.

Has Bruce written a melody like "Just Like A Woman", or "Lay Lady Lay" (two examples completely off the top of my head).

Of course they have to work together. What I particularly like about pop music as a vernacular is its ability to make you feel two opposing emotions at the same time; and this for me is highlighted by some of the best pop songs, whose melody makes you feel one way but whose lyrics stab you through the heart. Off the top of my head, I'm talking not only of Dancing In The Dark or The Wanderer, but of You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling, Ticket To Ride or The One I Love. All guaranteed to stir certain emotions, and then a whole bunch of other emotions when you listen for the second or fiftieth time. For me, that's one of the things that separates the good pop songs from the great pop songs, and often what gives them their staying power: what David Hepworth was talking about recently when he talked about the promise of further riches when listening to We Can Work It Out. For what is allegedly a disposable form, there can be a rewarding feeling that these songs are interesting and good enough to be around for your whole life.

'I can't Stand Bruce!' - well lots of people obviously CAN stand him - he is back on 'Strictly' again soon!!! :)

If you have a problem with Springsteen, take a look & listen to this cover.

Take a slight song and make it better

Have you ever gone to one of his gigs? He's hilarious!